about phenomenologica.com

what does 'phenomenologica' mean?

I constructed the word phenomenologica (φαινόμενο-λογικα) as a combination of the words phenomena (φαινόμενα) and logic (λογική), with the 'ica' presenting the combination as a variety or kind. The focus on the combination of phenomena and logic arises from their being fundamental to the manner in which we experience and understand the world and ourselves---all experience is presented privately as phenomena and communicated publicly via abstract logical constructions.

Of course this is one perspective on things among many but there are many reasons for its foundational character, including its being at the foundation of processes of mathematical construction, computation and scientific description of the world.

does phenomenologica relate to phenomenology?

Phenomenologica is intended to be understood as conceptually distinct from the philosophical tradition and method of phenomenology, though it is not unrelated. Rather than focus being on the bracketing of assumptions (εποχή) about the content of experience (and/or its metaphysical status), as is traditional in phenomenology, the intended focus is reflection on the processes of imposing content on experience and extracting content from it. In particular, the focus is on the role that abstract conceptual content plays in determining what we do and can experience.

how does phenomenologica relate to mathematics and science?

The processes of theory construction in both mathematics and science involve at a very basic level the use of concepts to form abstract representations of experiences. In mathematics, these can be experiences in logical or geometric intuition, and in science these can be experiences of the behaviour of phenomena. Most reasoning in mathematics and science does not, however, deal with such pure, direct experiences; rather, it involves a complex mixture of experiences of various kinds and the manipulation of complex symbolic conceptual languages. The outcomes of the reasoning process in mathematics and science are also varied, which includes special conceptual objects, i.e., theories and models, that serve to predict and explain experiences, as well as the predictions and explanations themselves. Scientific and mathematical reasoning, then, are seen as computational processes mediating input experiences (observation, experiment, intuition) and output experiences (description, prediction, explanation, proof).

how does phenomenologica relate to processes of computing?

The processes of computation in science and mathematics are extraordinarily complex, which has turned computing into a complex natural phenomenon in its own right. Consequently, scientific and mathematical methods are brought to bear in the study of computing phenomena in much the way they are use to study other natural phenomena. But because the inferential processes used to study computing processes are also computational, computing as a subject of study has a special "higher-order" character (computing to study computing to study computing...) and "self-referential" character (computing studies computing). In relation to the concept of phenomenologica, then, computing has the special status of being both "phenomenon" (as object of study) and "logic" (as method of study).

what about the '.com'?

Since phenomenologica is fundamentally about understanding communication of private experiences mediated by abstract constructions, and because the internet at its best is a form and medium of communication, I like to think of the 'com' in '.com' as standing for communication, rather than its usual, intended meaning. Indeed, the purpose of this site in general, and this page in particular, suits such an interpretation.